Valve with a crenellated seat

Abstract

The present invention relates to a valve including a valve member co-operating with a seat provided with a crenellated portion disposed around the portion of the seat on which the valve member rests, said crenellated portion being constituted by teeth separated by gaps, the inside walls of the teeth being portions of a vertical axis cylinder, the width l of the gaps being less than the width b of the inside walls of the teeth, wherein the end wall of the valve member facing the crenellated portion when the valve member is in its closed position is convex in shape, co-operating with the inside wall of each tooth to form a channel that flares from top to bottom of the tooth, the point of contact C between the valve member and the seat being at a distance d from the base B of the crenellated portion lying in the range 0.25 times to 0.5 times the width l of the gap. Vibrations are eliminated at partial load and pressure fluctuations downstream from the valve are reduced.

We claim: 
     
       1. A valve comprising a movable valve member engageable with a seat, a crenellated portion disposed around a portion of said seat upon which said valve member rests, said crenellated portion being constituted by teeth separated by circumferential gaps, said teeth having inside walls constituting portions of a vertical axis cylinder, said gaps having a width l which is less than a width b of the inside walls of the teeth, the improvement wherein said valve member includes an end wall facing the crenellated portion when the valve member in its closed position which is convex in shape, and defining with the inside wall of each tooth a channel that flares from top to bottom of the tooth, and wherein said valve member convex end wall has a point of contact C on said seat at a distance d from the base B of the crenellated portion which lies in the range of 0.25 times the 0.5 times the width l of said gaps between adjacent teeth.